RCT toiled hard to beat minnows Bauddha FC 4-2 in tiebreaker after 0-0 draw in the regulation time and added half an hour during the third quarterfinal of Ncell Cup Football Championship being held at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu. [break]
Bauddha missed the first two spotkicks paving way for the RCT to make into last four without firing the last spotkick as it had converted all four spotkicks.
Hem Tamang fired the first spotkick above crossbar and Ajit Bhandari also missed target for Bauddha as he hit the post. Som Thapa and Buddha Lama converted the other two spotkicks for Bauddha but it could not change the fate of Bauddha Team.
Yugal Kishor Rai, Shekhar Limbu, Naresh Khatry and Krishna Kunwar all achieved targets for RCT. RCT will meet Iceberg Madhyapur Youth Association in the semifinal to be played on Wednesday.
RCT goalie Dilip Chhetri fails to prevent goal. (Photo: Bikash Karki)
RCT coach Madhu Karki was delighted with his side´s win that put the team into semifinal of tournament held in Kathmandu for the first time after Birthday Cup Football Tournament in 2057 BS. On the occasion, RCT had lifted the title. Since than RCT had won the title of Budhasubba Gold Cup (Dharan) in 2066 BS and finished runners up in three tournaments in 2067 BS, all outside Kathmandu.
"It is a great achievement for the team and as a coach I feel proud to be in the semifinal after 12 years," Karki said. "I hope we move a step further with a win and make it into the final of the football tournament in the Kathmandu as it carries greater significance than other places of the country," Karki said.
Boudha FC player Suman Lama breaks down after loss. (Photo: Bikash Karki)
Earlier in the drab affair, both teams failed to make any dangerous move during the regulation time and goalkeepers looked pressure free though Bauddha looked spirited. The only post charge from RCT came in the 88th minute but Bauddha custodian Ranjti Gurung punched a bouncing freekick taken by Neeraj Remi Magar to safety.
Bauddha made a couple of post attacks during the dying minutes of the extra time but failed to hit the target as RCT custodian and skipper Dilip Chhetri denied both attempts. In the last minute of extra time, Chhetry denied Suman Lama´s open strike from the penalty area and in the stoppage time he easily caught Dhruba Ghimire´s shot from the edge.
RCT coach Karki however, tagged the victory as tough one. "The best part of our team is forward but our forward especially Olawala O Afeez could not play well due to tight marking," Karki said. "We had expected an easy win."
Bauddha coach Kiran Shrestha said that his team failed to score despite keeping the opponents under pressure. "However, we are satisfied with the overall performance of team in the tournament. Now we will start preparation for league."
Nepal Police Club will take on CMG Club Sankata in the last quarterfinal on Tuesday.
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